Maryport Bitter and Blues Festival 2006
Sunday 30th July 2006 - Main Marquee Stage
Reviews by Courtland Bresner    Photos by Alan White

Sunday, the final day of the festival, opened with Two Timers. This duo consisting of Gordon Russell on guitars and suitcase bass drum and Sarah James on snare drum, harp and spoons. The set of original songs was a good way to start the day. Numbers included Real Good TV, Never Going Home, Killing Time, The Devil and the Deep Blue and You Know It Aint Easy.
 

Next up was Ian Siegal with the Matt Schofield Band. Ian, with a voice reminiscent of Howlin’ Wolf, performed a set of original material, mainly from the Meat & Potatoes CD, including John the Revelator, She Got the Devil In Her, Fulsom Prison Blues. The band was joined by Giles King for a fine version of Long Distance Call.
 

Chris Farlowe backed by the Norman Beaker Band followed and turned in an enjoyable set. Chris still had a fine voice and treated us to renditions of I’ll Sing the Blues for You, Blues as Blues Can Get and all time favourites Handbags and Gladrags, Stormy Monday Blues and Out of Time. Chris and the band deserved the standing ovation. The encore was All or Nothing dedicated to Steve Marriott.
 

Closing the show was Eric Sardinas and Big Motor from Texas. Eric is a showman who combines the slide style of the old masters with loud amplification and feedback. The band didn’t disappoint he was strutting and posing about the stage and had the audience on their feet dancing and jumping around. Songs included versions of traditional blues Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning and Can’t Be Satisfied together with high octane originals such as Going to Texas, Texola, Run For Me Baby and As the Crow Flies by Tony Joe White. Two good crowd pleasers were included within the set for good measure, the audience walkabout and playing slide with a beer bottle. The standing ovation was followed by the encore of a version of Meet Me at the Bottom.
 

This was a wonderful festival with Maryport seeming to go from strength to strength. With a line up full of quality artists Maryport must now be the premier blues festival in the UK. Congratulations Maryport for such an enjoyable festival. I look forward to next year’s line up.